The perception that masks and cloth coverings for the nose and mouth are quite ubiquitous is rather disgusting and shameful — and I am surprised that more people are not appalled by how pervasive they seem to be, as one can spot them virtually everywhere.
Disgusting How Masks Seem to Be Everywhere
No, I am not referring to the actual wearing of masks and cloth coverings for the nose and mouth, as doing so is supposed to help prevent the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus…
…rather, I am referring to how people dispose of them improperly by simply tossing them to the ground as litter after they have been used.
I even saw what appeared to be a haphazard pile of used face masks — complete with that familiar color combination of light blue and white — which seemed to have been dumped off of an entrance ramp onto an Interstate highway.
Since this article pertaining to stopping the spread of littering contaminated gloves and masks appeared here at The Gate on Sunday, April 19, 2020 — as well as this article which appeared only three days later on Earth Day — readers have not only been alerting me of their sightings of discarded gloves and masks; but I have been finding substantially more of them myself.
In an effort to slow its spread in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory on Friday, April 3, 2020 with the recommendation of covering your face with a simple cloth face covering — such as a scarf as one of many examples — which was initially different than what both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization previously advised.
Ever since the recommendation to wear something to cover a face during the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic was endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, substantially more people started to wear not only masks and other face coverings; but also gloves as well…
…and as a result, a fairly new problem is occurring, as instead of following the guidelines of what to properly do after wearing masks and gloves, some people are simply tossing them onto the ground and littering the landscape.
I have been walking many miles during the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, and I started to notice discarded gloves and masks on the ground…
…such as in the grass right by a sidewalk; or on the side of a roadway.
The proper discarding of a mask is to grab it by the strands which wrap around the ears and discard it immediately in a closed bin; and then afterwards, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Improperly discarding a glove or a mask could possibly expose other people to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, which potentially defeats the purpose of wearing a glove or a mask in the first place — not to mention that simply throwing gloves or masks on the ground is a form of littering.
Summary
The photographs of the same discarded mask which were used in this article only illustrated part of the problem, as I have seen more gloves, masks, and other protective items improperly discarded elsewhere.
If you are going to use a mask or gloves, please discard them properly to help prevent the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Simply throwing them on the ground is disgusting, only potentially creates new issues — such as potentially spreading the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in a selfishly different and discourteous way; as well as littering, which is bad for the environment — and does not help to solve the original problem…
…especially if the glove, mask, or other protective item is not biodegradable.
Other articles at The Gate which pertain to wearing masks and cloth coverings for the nose and mouth due to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic include:
- 14 Reasons Why Anyone Would Want to Wear a Mask
- 14 Reasons Why Anyone Would Refuse to Wear a Mask
- The Debate Over Wearing Masks
- Face Covering? No Face Mask? Why Seemingly Conflicting Information From Two Reliable Sources
- Update August 4 2020: Face Masks Required at These Rental Car Facilities in the United States
- Face Mask Policies Further Restricted by Marriott and Delta Air Lines
- Face Masks Required at These Rental Car Facilities in the United States Effective as of July 27, 2020
- Face Mask Requirements to Become Standard at Lodging Properties in the United States
- Stricter Requirements for Wearing Masks By Delta Air Lines
- Georgia Governor Sues Atlanta Mayor to Block Mask Requirement
- Is Wearing Masks Required or Not in Atlanta and Its Airport?
- Update: Passengers Must Wear Face Coverings or Masks With These Airlines Based in the United States
- Passengers Must Wear Face Coverings or Masks With These Airlines Based in the United States
- Should Passengers Be Required to Wear Masks Aboard Airplanes?
- Earth Day 2020: More Littering of Contaminated Gloves and Masks From the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Stop the Spread of Littering Contaminated Gloves and Masks, Please
- Are Masks Effective Against 2019 Novel Coronavirus That People are Stealing Them?
All photographs ©2020 by Brian Cohen.
